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The main character: I want a main character or narrator that I can empathize with and that, on a very basic level, I like. I know it means I miss out on a lot of great books with less than loveable narrators but life is too short to read books I don’t like!

Linear Storytelling: I know it speaks to my lack of reading sophistication but I simply can’t enjoy non-linear storytelling because it requires too much work to parse the narrative. There are a few exceptions to this with authors who do non-linear storytelling exceptionally well but I simply can’t deal with it when it is done poorly.

Setting: I have a special place in my heart for fantasy/sci-fi/horror. One of my favorite sub-genres is post-apocalyptic fiction. I see a lot of dystopia on the market right now and it isn’t a terrible substitute for post-apocalyptic fiction but it isn’t quite the same. I am also fond of road trips, especially road trips that involve space travel.

World Building: I want a world that is noticeably different from this one and a world that is fully formed. I don’t require a Tolkien-esque language but a world that is truly unique can make or break a book for me.